Photographs by Allita Barefoot

Tulum is the nearest largest city to the south of where we were staying.  We first visited Tulum for groceries and just a quick walk-about in the city to get our bearings.  Our next visit to Tulum was a private tour of the Mayan walled city ruins located on the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  

When we first arrived at the national park that houses these Mayan ruins, we were greeted by the color and beauty of the local scene. Brightly-colored decorations adorned buildings and walkways, painted statues and caricatures were standing along the street, and in the square, there were performance artists entertaining the crowds of curious tourists.  

The walk from the parking area to the park entrance was included in our guided tour and we learned much about the history of the park, the flora and even fauna of the local area.  

As it turned out, our guide was a degreed scientist with avid interest in history, archaeology and botany.  Considering these three topics are interesting to each of us (Mom – botany, Allita – history, myself – archaeology), we were delighted to spend the day with a like-minded local who welcomed our endless questions and was happy to wander anywhere and everywhere around the park for hours.   

One point of note: as we three hail from Tucson where the average relative humidity is below 25%, it took some time for us to adjust to 75-80% humidity and 90 degree temperatures.  In Tulum, the outside temperatures can feel 10 degrees warmer from just the humidity alone! With that much water vapor in the air, even the shade offers little solace. So there should be no surprise that we appear a little wilted in our photos. It was a fun day that we greatly enjoyed and would happily repeat – even in the tropical conditions.

The ruins at Tulum are massive and sprawling. Even with advanced research, we were unprepared for the full scale of the park. Nearly the entire ancient Mayan city remains preserved and available for viewing. There are multiple temples, platforms, terraces, shrines, and other structures laid out in precise rows and all surrounded by massive gated walls with watch towers similar to European cities we have previously toured. The “castillo” in the center was so like a traditional royal castle, elevated far above the other structures with a long sweeping staircase to the top – commanding attending and demanding humility and respect.  You can easily see it among all the photographs we took of the main site.

Another interesting observation was the manner of construction of the structures and walls themselves. Mayans built many pyramid-shaped temples constructed in layers on a base platform that was slightly raised above the ground (step). Their buildings had narrow doorways and on the eastern side, where the direct sun shown without relief, few small windows to allow light but discourage heat.  

The city itself was constructed on a slight hill with steep cliffs leading to the Caribbean Sea to the east.  The rocky “beach” at the base of the cliffs would have easily deterred any water-based entrance by unwanted visitors in the past. Pathways through the ruins are well-maintained and easily traversed allowing you access to all areas.  Although she did not specifically require it, my mother did bring her walking stick to help navigate uneven ground, and there were plenty of places under the canopy of the jungle trees for us to rest for a moment in the shade, if needed. 

All-in-all, the visit to Tulum was enjoyed by everyone.